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Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif claims that after the conflict with India in May last year, the demand for Pakistani fighter planes has increased.
According to Radio Pakistan, he said on Wednesday that many countries are in talks to buy Pakistani fighter jets. However, he did not tell which fighter jets the demand has increased.
However, many media reports have claimed that many countries are showing interest in purchasing Pakistan JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. These include countries like Bangladesh, Sudan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Indonesia.
JF-17 fighter jet engine made in Russia
According to the Government of Pakistan, JF-17 Thunder is a multi-role combat aircraft, which was developed by Pakistan in collaboration with China in June 2007. Its design and technology has been prepared by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) and its final assembly has been done by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).
The special thing is that its engine is made in Russia. This is because at that time China and Pakistan did not have modern fighter-jet engines available.
About 58% share in the manufacturing of JF-17 fighter jet is from Pakistan and 42% share is from China. The Klimov RD-93 engine installed in it and the RD-93 MA engine installed in the new Block 3 are made in Russia. Russia provides these engines to Pakistan through China.
JF-17 dependent on China for maintenance
According to the report of Global Defense Corp, Pakistan’s JF-17 is dependent on China for maintenance and spare parts. At the same time, due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the supply of Russian engines has also been affected. This is not a stealth fighter. That means the enemy is unable to dodge the country’s radar system and becomes a target. Apart from this, there are some shortcomings in JF-17 fighter jet-
- low power engine Due to the aircraft having only one RD-93 engine, its thrust is less, which reduces the speed while carrying heavy weapons.
- Can’t carry too many weapons – JF-17 can carry only about 3.6 tons of weapons. That means if you want to carry more weapons, you have to reduce fuel.
- Avionics system weak Avionics are the electronic systems of an aircraft that help it fly, navigate and fight wars. The JF-17’s avionics system is considered outdated, making it difficult to navigate and communicate as well as control weapons.
- electronic warfare systems general – Its jamming and sensor systems have limited ability to detect threats and protect the aircraft.
Pakistan is dealing with Indonesia, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia
According to Reuters, Indonesia’s Defense Minister met Pakistan Air Force Chief Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu on January 12 and talked about purchasing about 40 JF-17.
According to Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star, Pakistan will also sell JF-17 fighter jet to Bangladesh. Talks have taken place between the air force chiefs of both the countries regarding this.
Similarly, Reuters report has claimed that Pakistan has talked about selling JF-17 to Saudi Arabia on January 7. Pakistan is making this deal in exchange for a loan of 2 billion dollars from Saudi Arabia.
However, the report also said that the Pakistani Army has not yet given any formal statement regarding these agreements with Libya or Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh has also not signed any contract with Pakistan yet.
Nigeria, Myanmar and Azerbaijan already have JF-17
According to a Reuters report released on January 9, in the last 10 years, many countries have expressed their desire to buy Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jet. This jet is already included in the military fleets of Nigeria, Myanmar and Azerbaijan.
According to Al-Jazeera, before this, Pakistan had made a deal to sell more than a dozen JF-17 fighter jets to the Libyan rebel group, Libyan National Army (LNA) in December 2025 for $4 billion. This is said to be the biggest arms deal ever in the history of Pakistan.
Reuters report also claims that Pakistan is also going to sign a defense deal worth Rs 12,500 crore with Sudan, which also includes JF-17 fighter jets.
Why is the demand for Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter jet increasing?
The JF-17 Thunder is a 4.5 generation light-weight multi-role combat aircraft, comparable to India’s Tejas aircraft and the US F-16 and Russia’s MiG-29. Compared to these three, JF-17 is considered the cheapest.
India’s Tejas is better than Pakistani JF-17
Tejas fighter jet, which is considered an integral part of the Indian Air Force, is better than Pakistan’s JF-17 in many ways. Tejas has modern AESA radar, improved sensor-fusion and digital cockpit, making target identification and attack more accurate.
Tejas’ electronic warfare system is also better than JF-17. A large amount of material has been used in Tejas, which reduces its weight and radar signature.
India shot down JF-17 fighter jet during Operation Sindoor
In an interview given to Geo News, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had said that during the clash with India in May 2025, Pakistan had shown its military capability to the world.
At the same time, Pakistan Air Force Chief Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu had also claimed to shoot down Indian jets with the help of JF-17 in a statement given in August 2025.
However, Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh had said in an event on 8 October 2025 that in Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force entered Pakistan and destroyed several targets and downed a total of 5 Pakistani fighter jets, including JF-17.
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